Gabrielle was not sure how long she stayed in the prince's arms. She felt so safe...after all that had happened. The relief swelled in her heart so much to the point where she felt it would burst from relief and happiness. Finally, she felt Adrian touch her shoulder and gently moved her back. She looked up to them.
"Lady Gabrielle, you must tell me where they took you. Lady Isodara must be punished for this." The reminder of her stepmother brought new tears to her eyes.
"She killed my parents...she told me...and she was going to sell me to a brothel." Another fear gripped her heart now.
"She has been on my mother's payroll for a while now, I would expect no different from a friend of my mother's. Now tell me about where you were kept." Gabrielle began to talk of the stone tower and how she had escaped there and ran all night.
"I was in such a fright that I don't know what direction I was running so I can't lead you back to the tower. I'm sorry, your highness." He brushed a loose lock of her blonde hair behind her ear. She was comforted by this, no longer afraid, or frightened by his subtle touches of her. Her mind and heart saw him as her savior now.
"Do not worry, Songstress, I know what tower you are talking about." He turned his head to the tropes and she saw a very well built black man who was at the head of the group.
"Shango," The prince directed to him, "I know you found a tower while studying this land."
"That is quite right, Prince Adrian." He had a similar accent to Kianda. He must have been one of the brothers she spoke of having. Adrian took her hand and lead her to his white stallion. He directed her on it, helping her to mount it and spoke to Shango.
"Shango, take us to the tower." He commanded him, as he mounted the horse behind Gabrielle and graved the reigns of the horse.
"Yes, my prince." Shango said, and went in front of the group and they started their journey to the town. Gabrielle averted her gaze from the corpses of Jetson and the wolf. Instead she looked to Kianda and she cold tell from the darken places on her neck that Jetson had strangled her badly. It was a wonder that he didn't snap her neck. She felt guilty for what had happened to Kianda, she would have to apologize to her friend after this.
After a while, she looked forward, feeling the bumps of the wooded ground beneath the horse as they rode through the forest. Finally, after some time had passed the forest cleared and they came to the tower. She could see where she had made her escape for there was a hole in the tower wall where she had tunneled through the stone. She was now surprised to see how small it was. Gabrielle was glad that she was so small and thin now, or else she probably wouldn't have escaped.
Adrian ordered the group to come to a halt. He dismounted and helped her to dismount too. He ordered her to stay by his side, which she obliqued. He then ordered several men, including Kianda and Shango, to dismount and follow him in the tower. She and the prince where in the front of the group. Her heart began to pound nervously at the thought of confronting Isodara, even with the prince and a whole troop of guards at her side this single woman still frightened her. When they reached the tower door. Adrian found it locked, he signaled for Shango to come forward and he gently backed Gabrielle away from the door and to the side. Shango came forward and with a single powerful punch he broke from the rotting wood of the tower door. She could hear him reaching for the handle to the other side and suddenly, and soon she heard a click and Shango removed his hand from the door and opened it, stepping inside to let the prince in, and Gabrielle followed.
They entered the dusty room and saw no one was there. Had Isodara fled? Would her stepmother get away with this.
"Come out now, Lady Isodara. I know very well you wouldn't have left this tower when you were expecting that brute of yours to bring you back Lady Gabrielle." Then Gabrielle heard the shuffle of footsteps as Isodara emerged from the darkness. For the first time in Gabrielle's life she saw that Isodara had the expression of absolute terror on her face. For the first time in her life; Gabrielle was not afraid of Isodara. She could clearly see that her stepmother had no power here, and more importantly no power over her.
Adrian motioned with his hand for her to stay where she was at before making his way to her shivering her stepmother. She saw Isodara take a few steps back, out of terror.
"Your...highness" She stuttered out. The first time that Gabrielle had ever heard her stepmother stutter. Prince Adrian closed in on her. "Please...please." Isodara pleaded, "I was...so scarred of your mother and what she...would do to me...if I didn't follow her...orders. Please, I am a victim of your mother's ambition, like you. I never wanted to hurt Gabrielle. She is my daughter. I love her." Prince Adrian stopped talking.
"Your intentions mean absolutely nothing me. It is your actions what have done it. You killed two nobles, attempted to kill one of my greatest soldiers, and most damning of all, you kidnapped my bride and attempted to sell her as a sex slave." Gabrielle let out a gasp. Did Adrian just call her his bride? Her...no she hadn't even agreed to it. She was about to save something, when she felt a hand grip her wrist. She looked over to see Kianda, shaking her head. This could wait. The prince opened a pouch and pulled out a coin and presented it to Isodara.
"Put this under your tongue." He ordered.
"What...?" Her stepmother asked, looking confused.
"You heard me." Adrian stated, and held the coin out further to her. "You have already damned yourself enough, don't further this by trying to disobey your prince." Isodara paused for a moment, and then with a shaking hand took the coin and slowly placed it under her tongue.
"Good girl." He said, then he suddenly drew his sword, which made Isodara stumbled back until the wall meet her back, making it to where she could move back no further. "That coin will be my only act of kindness toward you. This way you'll have passage into Hades." Gabrielle immediately realized what he was going to do. She broke free of Kianda's grip on her risk and started running toward them
"No, don't!" She cried, but her pleas or speed was not enough for Prince Adrian plunged the sword into her stepmother's heart the moment she reached them. She stopped in mid-run, right by Adrian's side. She covered her mouth as she watched the life drain out of her stepmother's eyes. She covered her mouth, as Adrian withdrew her sword from her heart. Isodara's corpse feel to the ground. Gabrielle gasped and ran to the fallen corpse of her stepmother. Still in shock, she barely registered the sound of Prince Adrian sheathing his sword. She slowly pulled her eyes from her stepmother's dead body and looked up at the prince, the prince she had only a few moments ago felt so safe with. Now she saw a murderer.
"You...you murdered her!" She cried, holding back tears.
"So it is true, you have a pure heart there is no doubt now. The woman who killed your loving parents, made you a slave, and would have had you raped, yet you still mourn her lost."
"But you shouldn't have killed her...she should have been made to stand trial and been sent to prison for her crimes." Gabrielle cried.
"That would have been too good for scum like her." He replied, coldly. Gabrielle got to her feet.
"You left my stepsisters orphaned!" Even though Estelle wasn't close to her mother, she had no doubt that her mother's death would affect the stoic girl and Rosella would be devastated.
"Ah, your stepsisters that reminds me, by law they should also be put on trial for condoning your mother's treatment of you all these years."
"No!" She automatically protested, "Don't do that too them. I would defend them at court!"
"Aw, but it's your word against a prince's I will just claim that your step family treatment has made you brainwashed. The courts would not want to risk doubting the prince's word." Gabrielle lowered her head. Damn it, he was right. He was absolutely right.
"Of course..."He started to add, "I could ignore their treatment of you, if you agree to marry me without a fight." She startled and looked up at him. He was going to force her hand at marriage. To think only a few moments ago she had went into his arms so willingly and felt so warm and safe there. But that how changed now and for the worse...she saw the worse side of him. The heartless prince of war side. How was she suppose to marry a man without a heart.
"You would really hurt my stepsisters if I don't willingly marry you?" She asked with hesitation.
"Yes." He bluntly replied. She looked down at the corpse of her stepmother, shuddering at the site of the lifeless body. Yes, he would. There was not a cloud of doubt in her mind of what he was willing to do to get his way. He was truly heartless, she understood that now more than she ever had. She looked away from her stepmother's corpse, but still not at the prince.
"I'll do...it for...my sisters. I'll marry you, but you must swear to keep your word."
"I swear that no harm will come to them as long as you do as I ask." She didn't respond to this, but she felt his hand on her wrist and he pulled her back to him, away from Isodara's corpse. Gabrielle did not meet his eyes, but she heard his voice.
"Phillip." He called to a man.
"Yes, your highness." Responded a solider in the doorway.
"Send a message to my father. That Lady Gabrielle has been sold into slavery and is bound on a ship to the east and we are going off to rescue her."
"At once, sire." This made Gabrielle snap her head back to the prince.
"What are you talking about? I am right here? Why are you lying to your father?" She asked in pure confusion.
"Because it will give me time to gather my army and invade the kingdom when my father is not expecting it." The blonde's eyes widened in horror at this.
"Invade the kingdom! But why would you invade your own kingdom!" It didn't make any sense.
"Why to become king, of course." He answered with a grin.
"You're mad." She told him, breathless. That had to be it, Adrian was mad. The prince only laughed in response, but she continued, "But you are the crown prince? You will become king eventually, why use violence?" The prince stopped laughing, but he still had a smirk to his face.
"If you haven't noticed patience isn't one of my virtues and besides that I would have to constantly worry about my mother attempting to kill you, unless you have forgotten about her." Gabrielle had forgotten about the queen after all that had happened. She wanted to say something in response to what seemed like madness, but she couldn't. She felt Adrian gently grip her wrist, she didn't pull away, or meet his eyes. He lead her out of the dark tower room and into the light. She felt him face her, and he placed a hand under her cheek and lifted her face to meet his eyes.
"You are not in any danger. In this game you are the queen the most important and protected piece." He leaned into her and for a moment, she thought he was about to kiss her, but he drew back and released her chin. He then walked away, leaving her, to go meet with his men. She was lost as to what do for a moment. In a single day and night her world had drastically changed. Gabrielle wished desperately for things to go back to how they were before Isodara kidnapped her. Yesterday, morning she had actually made progress with her elder stepsister, but there was no doubt that Isodara's death had ruined that. Also she almost lost Kianda. Kianda. Her eyes started looking around the scene for her friend and found her off to the side of the horses and Gabrielle went to her.
"Kianda." She spoke softly, graving the warrior woman's attention; as Kianda turned to face her.
"Yes, Lady Gabrielle." She answered.
"Oh, Kianda, you know you don't have to call me lady."
"I think the circumstances have changed now with you...being Prince Adrian's bride and the soon to be future queen." Gabrielle felt a lump in her stomach at that. That fact had slipped her mind, if Adrian took the throne from his father and married, her, of course, she would become queen.
"Kianda...did you know that Prince Adrian was planning this?" Kianda looked at her with a serious expression.
"I did know that he was planning to take over his father's kingdom when he trusted me and my brothers' enough to tell us." She admitted.
"Why...why didn't you tell anyone and warn King Oswald?"
"Because I have no loyalty to King Oswald. The day the prince helped me flee my country, I swore my loyalty to him and not the king. I know the king in name only, but I have thought many battles by Prince Adrian's side. I know he has no heart, but he has saved my life in battle more times than I saved him and ensured I had the best healers when I was injured." Gabrielle lowered her head.
"I see...I can't blame you for being loyal to the man who did so much for you, but did you know he wanted me...to marry him?" She asked, hesitantly. Hoping that Kianda hasn't betrayed her out of loyalty to the prince.
"No, I did not. I suspected you were important to the prince, but he never told us that you were also cursed until after he found me and told us on the way. I swear I had no idea he planned to marry you until he announced it." This made Gabrielle feel much better.
"I believe you." She told her friend. "I want to apologize for what happened to you." She suddenly said. Kianda touched her throat.
"It was not your fault. I am the one who asked you to walk with me on a deserted trial." Kianda evenly explained to her.
"But Isodara was after me, not you. You got caught up in her schemes because of me and almost lost your life." Gabrielle argued back.
"I am a solider." Kianda countered., "I am always in risky situations because of others. Isodara wasn't the first to make me almost loose my life because of their schemes and I doubt she will be the last." Gabrielle could not find room to argue anymore. She was right, Kianda was a solider that meant she risked her life whenever she went into battle.
"I see...I'm just glad you are safe."
"Thank you, Lady Gabrielle, I am glad you are safe as well." She smiled at her and Gabrielle smiled back. She was enjoying the moment of friendship between them in this day of chaos. The warrior woman looked over Gabrielle's shoulder.
"Looks like the men are preparing to leave." Gabrielle looks behind her and could see that many of the soldiers were now straddling their horses. This sent Gabrielle into a panic, she looked back at her friend.
"I have to go talk to the prince, excuse me, Kianda." She left her friend and ran over to the prince, who was about to straddle his white stallion.
"Oh, good timing, Lady Gabrielle. I was about to call you over." He said in a voice too casual for a man who just forced her hand at marriage.
"What about Isodara's body?" She questioned him.
"What about her body? I am having my man did a shallow grave for her behind the tower and it should be prepared soon." Gabrielle's mouth dropped in horror.
"No you can't do that!" She cried. The prince gave her an incredulous look. "Her daughters deserve
her body to properly bury it." Adrian looked unconvinced. "Please, I beg of you, don't do this." The prince was silent a moment.
"By the time they get the body back it will have rotten. Since I can't send it to them now with my father thinking I have gone to find you and arrest Isodara.." Gabrielle bit her lip and thought for a moment.
"Then can't you burn it? So they can at least have the ashes." She pleaded. Adrian gave a sigh and thought for a moment.
"I can do that, but not know. We must get to my holdout castle first to plan for the invasion. We can burn it then." Gabrielle bowed her head in thankfulness to his small gesture of goodness. Adrian told a guard to tell the men to stop digging the grave and put Isodara into a bag. The guards did as they were told and Isodara's corpse was put into a bag.
Adrian then gestured her to mount his horse. It looked like she would be riding with him again. She didn't dare disobey, no matter how much she wanted too. She got on the stallion with Adrian's help and he mounted behind her. Soon everyone was now on their horses. Prince Adrian gave the signal for them to move forward and off they went. It was so strange to feel him at her back, a few moments ago she felt so safe with him, but now she was back to feeling anxious about him again. Still she said nothing, not wanting to talk to him. Adrian must have sensed her reluctance to speak to him as well for he said nothing during their ride together. They had to go on backwoods and through woods so word would not get back to the king of where his son was really at.
The journey took in all four days, with them camping at night. Since she and Kianda where the only women at camp, they shared the same tent, but during the day she rode with Adrian except when they gave the horses breaks and then she went back to Kianda. Gabrielle might have been thankful for Adrian's rescue, but a part of her was still rebellious at the idea of having to marry him. Even though there was nothing she could do.
Finally, they arrived at the castle where Adrian was going to plan the invasion of his own kingdom. She prayed to Zeus that now to many lives would be lost in the upcoming invasion. She was surprised to see that many men had already arrived there and cheered at their prince's entrance. There were camp tents as far as Gabrielle's eyes could see and she suspected their were even more men staying inside the castle. They made their way to the stables where they dismounted. Adrian gave a few orders to his men and then turned signaled Kianda and Gabrielle to him.
"I want you both to share the same room. There are a lot of men here, a good amount of brutes and you are the only women among them. I will have a guard posted outside your door at night and I ask you not to go anywhere by yourselves. I have asked Shango to be your guard." he looked to Gabrielle. "This is not because I have no trust in you. It's just that I know how some soldiers can be around women. Even around camp, I don't like Kianda going off my herself without one of her brothers, or a trusted solider of mine."
"I understand, your highness." In truth she felt a bit safer knowing that she would be guarded. She didn't like being around so many men at once, many of them soldiers. Adrian turned his head and called Shango over to him.
"Show the ladies there room." He asked him and Shango gave a nod and the warrior maidens followed him out.
"So, rabbit, looks like you are my guard again." Kianda addressed Shango, as they walked.
"Indeed looks like I have." He answered back. Gabrielle was glad they were not speaking in their own language, since that would have been awkward for her. But her curiosity was caught.
"Rabbit?" She asked, "Why did you call him rabbit?"
"Because-" answered Kianda, "He loves rabbits. Shango believes they bring them good luck and has a collection of rabbit things." Gabrielle's eyes widened. She couldn't imagine such a big and strong man, loving something as cute and girlish as rabbits.
"Really?" Asked, Gabrielle. Shango stopped and turned back to the women. He reached into his shirt and pulled out a wooden rabbit pendant that was attached to a leather necklace around his neck.
"Oh," She said, in a bit of a surprise. Shango smiled and gripped the rabbit pendant.
"It is my lucky charm for battle." The solider told her.
"Would you mind me asking why a rabbit is your symbol? I know warriors usually choose animals like wolves, lions, bears, and eagles to be there symbol, but not something cute and small as a rabbit." Shango have a light chuckle at this, and didn't seem offended.
"It is perfectly fine for you to ask me that. I like rabbits because they are swift and smart creatures. They are so small that people don't realize how difficult catching one can be. I've heard of wolves and lions being driven out of villages and towns, but I never heard of a rabbit being driven out. They are stubborn survivors." Shango explained to Gabrielle. The blonde thought this over, and nodded.
"That actually sounds very wise." She told him and Shango smiled back at her.
"Thank you, Lady Gabrielle." She gave him a curtsey.
"You are welcome." She told him and Shango gave her a bow in return. Together the three of them walked into the castle. Like Gabrielle had expected earlier, it was filled with even more men. Being the only women in the entire camp and castle brought the looks from the men. Quite a few of them were clearly lustful, but no man dare say a thing or make a move to touch them, while they were with Shango. Shango was easily one of the largest men in the camp, if not the biggest. They were lead to a room in a tower where there didn't seem to me nearly as many men.
Shango opened the door for them and they walked into what was a fairly comfortable looking bedroom. It had two four poster beds, a wardrobe, and most importantly (to Gabrielle) a bookshelf. She went right over to the bookshelf and the volumes seem to be dusty. Gabrielle removed a book from the shelf and looked over to her friend, who was looking around the room. The blonde held out the book to her.
"Kianda, while we are here we can continue your studies." She told her, cheerfully. It was probably a good thing to for the next month, Gabrielle wouldn't be able to train since Adrian thought it wasn't safe for her around the camp men, even though Kianda was allowed to join the troops for training exercises. When Kianda was not in training, Gabrielle continued her lessons. The blonde was very pleased by the warrior woman's progress with reading and writing. She could now make out more basic sentences and such. In truth, her reading skills, at this point, where like a small child's, but she was learning at a more rapid pace than even Gabrielle expected too.
In the coming month, Gabrielle was even more grateful for Adrian assigning a guard to her, because she caught lustful looks and grins wherever she went, along with Kianda. However, no men ever made a move to touch them with their guards. The main guard for them was Shango who Gabrielle began to like immensely over the month, despite his size and strength, he was far from the brute that most would think from his appearance. When Shango was not with her a redheaded man named Stefan took his place. Gabrielle grew to like him as well. He never failed to make her laugh with his jokes and observations of the camp.
She saw little of Prince Adrian in the following month. He was spending most of his time with his generals or watching the men being trained. It seemed like everyday, more and more men poured into camp. It was a wonder that word hadn't got back to Lord Oswald about this army that was rapidly amassing. Gabrielle was not sure if she was upset, or relieved at how little she saw of Adrian. After forcing her hand at marriage, she was still angry about that, but at the same time it hurt her that he seemed to make so little time for her.
Isodara's body had been burned so after they arrived and the ashes placed in a pot. Gabrielle had it in her and Kianda's temporary bedroom, so she could give it to her stepsister's when they finally returned to the kingdom.
Finally, the month had ended and thousands of men had gathered around the castle and were trained. Prince Adrian had all the battle strategies planned out and the preparations were final. It was time to march on the kingdom. Gabrielle felt heaviness in her heart at this. She didn't feel that King Oswald deserved to be betrayed by his son at all after all it wasn't his fault that he had been put under a fae spell to fall in love with Queen Alisha.
She had learned early on that she would not be riding with the prince, since it would have been to dangerous with him fighting. Instead she was placed in the carriage with Stefan. Kianda and Shango were to valuable of soldiers for them to spare in battle. While she missed their company, she liked Stefan and his sense of good humor, which helped to calm down her nerves as the carriage bumped along with the rest of the army. It look about half of a week until they reached the forest that surrounded the capitol. There they made a permanent camp and gave the troops time to rest before they marched on the capitol. She was grateful that she got to spend the night in Kianda's tent with a guard outside. However, the women spoke little as it was clear that Kianda was exhausted and Gabrielle couldn't blame her after such a long march. Kianda slept most of the day and night.
At that morning, the invasion would begin, right before sunrise. Stefan would stay with her to make sure she was safe. She caught a glimpse of Adrian as he was preparing. He had on a full suit of armor along with a cape. She had to admit, he looked rather handsome in it. When it was still dark out, the army began it's invasion.
When the last solider finally left, Gabrielle was left alone with her thoughts. It worry grew with each passing hour. What about Kianda, Shango, and even Prince Adrian? What if they never made it back from the battle? For all the trouble Adrian had put her through, she still had no desire to see him dead. She had enough of seeing death in this past month. She felt guilty that her thoughts turned more to Adrian's safety than she had too Kianda's or Shango's. But she couldn't get the prince out of her mind. If he died she wouldn't have to marry him, but she didn't want him dead at all. She couldn't bring herself to do that. She wanted him to come back alive. A thought of her wondered if there was a fae spell on her, like King Oswald, to make her care so much about them.
She didn't hide her worry well and Stefan did her best to calm her nerves by telling her jokes and stories to keep her mind off battle. He even tried to get her to sing a bit, but Gabrielle couldn't bring herself to give a single note. Her mind was too far gone on the battlefield. She prayed a lot to every god she could think of for their safety. She even went as far as to throw her necklace into the fire as an offering to the Gods to keep them safe.
Her worry increased as the sun went further down and she paced around the camp. When the sun had gone completely down, she found herself not able to sleep despite being up since before dawn. Stefan implored her to sleep, but she sadly nodded no. A part of her felt guilty for causing him to worry about her health, but she could not help it.
It must have been close to midnight when she heard the sound of hooves. She rushed out of the tent and saw in the moonlight that it was one of Adrian's soldiers. She rushed up t him and began to ask him questions.
"King Oswald has fallen and Adrian has now taken his father's throne. The king and queen are in the dungeons right now. King Adrian wants you to come to the palace right now." King Adrian, huh? Looks like she would have to get use to calling him that now.
"What about Kianda, Shango, and the other soldiers?"
"There were very little casualties, Milady and I know I saw Kianda when Adrian stormed the castle." Gabrielle felt her heart leap with joy at that.
"Now, come with me. The king is eager to see you now. Gabrielle nodded and the soldier helped her to mount his horse and Stefan (who had overheard the whole thing) mounted his own horse.
Off she went to an entirely new world.